Easter
Easter is one of the most important religious holidays of the Christian calendar, steeped in tradition and ritual developed over centuries. It also has its secular side: the familiar bonnets, bunnies and those irresistible foil-wrapped chocolate eggs nestled into beds of neon grass. With all of these distractions, it’s easy to see how the religious message of Easter can sometimes get crowded out of the picture. This Web Guide can help you rediscover the history, beliefs, symbolism and practice of Easter.
Expand All Guide SectionsWhat is Easter?
The sites below examine the meaning, the history and the traditions of Easter. While different groups of Christians agree on the essence of Easter—namely, Christ’s death and resurrection—each church has its own way of commemorating this important holiday.
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- Holidays on the Net offers an Easter date calculator, and the World Council of Churches explains how and why each Easter date is calculated. In 325 CE, a council of bishops determined that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the vernal equinox. However, Eastern rite (Orthodox) and Western rite (Catholic and Protestant) churches have used different calendars since the 16th century, which means that they usually observe Easter on separate dates.
- Religion & Ethics, a PBS-affiliated Web site, features an interview with Christians of various denominations that touches on the somewhat divisive issue of determining the date of Easter. It also examines other differences in the ritual of Easter as it is celebrated by Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant followers.
- “From Jesus to Christ,” a PBS Frontline series, examined the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection from a historical perspective. In this online supplemental material to the series, two professors of scripture and religious studies compare and contrast different depictions in the Gospels of Jesus’ resurrection.
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ChurchYear.net
is a no-frills Web site that breaks down the history, traditions and symbols of Easter in simple, articulate language. It also links to Easter art, poems and a forum for remaining questions.
New Advent
digitally reproduces the early 20th-century Catholic Encyclopedia, which offers a more detailed explanation of Easter, including its etymology (the name Easter has been linked to Estre, Teutonic goddess of the dawn). The long paragraphs make this site a bit less reader friendly than the previous pick.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Web site explains the historical, cultural and religious origin of Easter, the “most venerable and preeminent feast of the Church.” The Greek Orthodox term for Easter is Pascha, a name derived from the Jewish holiday of Passover, celebrated at the same season. The site also provides an overview of Great Lent and Holy Pascha.
Gateway Cathedral
is an interdenominational Bible church whose Web site examines the pagan, Jewish and Christian roots of Easter.
Lent
The Easter season begins with Lent, a time for repentance and preparation that starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.
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- During Lent, some Christians make sacrifices, such as giving up candy or other indulgences. Others focus instead on good works, giving money to charity or volunteering. Some Christians, particularly adult Catholics, will often abstain from meat on Fridays. IgnatiusInsight.com explains why Christians should fast during Lent.
- Lent officially lasts 40 days because Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness, preparing for his public ministry and rejecting the temptations of Satan. There are actually more than 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, but the Sundays don’t count as part of Lent; they’re traditionally considered feast days to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.
- Christians in the United Kingdom celebrate Shrove Tuesday—the final day before Lent begins—with pancake races, running down the street while flipping a pancake.
- Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the 2008 Lenten season with an Ash Wednesday homily.
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The Catholic Education Resource Center
presents an Arlington Catholic Herald article about the history of the Lenten ritual and its origins.
The BBC
examines the meaning and history of Lent, with special attention to Shrove Tuesday (the day before Lent begins) and Ash Wednesday.
ChurchYear.net
traces the history of Lent from a primarily Catholic perspective, summarizing its symbols and rituals (fasting, almsgiving and prayer). It also provides detailed information about the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday.
Holy Week
Holy Week is the final week of Lent, beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday. Many Christians delight in celebrating Christ’s initial welcome into the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; however, the rest of the week is spent in solemn reflection.
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- Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the Service of the Bridegroom at the beginning of Holy Week. It is a custom that recalls the parable of 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). Five wise virgins stayed awake with lit lamps and waited for the bridegroom, while the five foolish ones slept and missed their opportunity. The bridegroom symbolizes Christ.
- In Mexico, it is customary to stage a passion play, a reenactment of Good Friday. Preparations for the play last an entire year and the actor chosen to portray Jesus must carry a cross weighing around 200 pounds.
- Protestant magazine Christianity Today explores the controversy provoked by Mel Gibson’s 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, a graphic depiction of Jesus’ final hours. The Anti-Defamation League also voiced its concern over the message of the film, especially its depiction of the role Jewish people played in Christ’s crucifixion.
- Some Christians participate in a Christian seder because they believe that Jesus, a Jew, was celebrating a Passover seder meal during the Last Supper. Some Jews find the practice objectionable. To read more about the Passover Seder as it is practiced by Jews, see findingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Passover.
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For an overview of Holy Week …
Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church
offers a guide to preparing Orthodox families for Holy Week. Scroll down to choose the day you’d like to know more about and click to find the icon for that day and its meaning, appropriate verses from scripture, hymns and explanations of each feast.
For Palm Sunday …
Catholic Culture
summarizes the message of Palm Sunday. It also includes Biblical passages, a summary of the liturgy and a link to one priest’s Palm Sunday homily.
For Holy Wednesday …
The Washington Post
Web site has an essay written by actress Rita Wilson who shares fond memories of celebrating Easter as a Greek Orthodox, including the feast of Holy Unction, which takes place on Holy Wednesday.
For Holy Thursday …
New Advent
’s digital reproduction of the Catholic Encyclopedia provides a historical overview of the rituals observed on Holy Thursday, the night of Jesus’ Last Supper when he “broke bread” with his apostles before his crucifixion.
Next Bible
looks at the origins and scriptural references of the washing of the feet, a practice observed on Holy Thursday.
For Good Friday …
The Catholic Liturgical Library
walks readers through the Good Friday ceremony, including directions for observing the Veneration of the Cross. The arrows at the top of the page guide readers through other Holy Week services.
Explorefaith.org
offers a homily from the Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Taylor, who compares different accounts in the Gospels of what she calls “the darkest day of the year,” when Jesus died on the cross.
The New American Bible
dedicates a page to a script for the Stations of the Cross, which is read on Good Friday; it traces Jesus’ journey to the site of his crucifixion, Golgotha.
For Holy Saturday …
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
provides a detailed summationof the rituals and prayers of Holy Saturday.
Easter Sunday: Traditions and Symbols
After the somber and solemn Lenten season, Easter Sunday is a day teeming with energy and excitement. It is the day of Christ’s resurrection. Easter traditions are divided along secular and religious lines, but many of the traditional recreational activities actually have religious significance.
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- The Catholic site Inter Mirifica notes several regional Easter customs of past and present. In the Middle Ages, Christians across Europe would meet on hilltops to watch the sun rise on Easter morning. They rang bells, fired cannons, sang hymns and performed traditional Easter dances. A similar tradition still exists in Austria and among the Moravian Christians of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
- Orthodoxy and the World, a Russian Orthodox Web site, reprints an AP article reporting on the 2007 Easter celebration at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where many believe Jesus’ resurrection took place.
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Catholic Culture
presents and explains the ceremonial aspects of Easter Sunday. It also has a beautiful description of the Easter Vigil, a dramatic four-part service that includes the lighting of the Paschal candle. The service takes place on the evening of Holy Saturday, and serves as the beginning of the Easter celebration.
ChristianityToday.com
answers the question, “Where'd the Eggs and Bunnies Come From?” explaining the origins of the symbols traditionally associated with Easter.
Celebrating Easter with Your Children
The following Web sites offer a few tips for parents who wish to emphasize the spiritual meaning of Easter over its more secular trappings.
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- Polish Easter baskets often contain a lamb made from sugar, “a symbol of Christ, the Lamb of God.” The day after Easter is known as Smigus Dyngus (“Wet Monday”) or Dyngus Day. Celebrated in Poland and in Polish-American neighborhoods in Buffalo, New York and in South Bend, Indiana, participants engage in a public water fight.
- Some Christians believe it is a sin to celebrate Easter, because many traditions appear to have their origin in pagan rituals, such as holding sunrise services and dyeing eggs. Others believe that celebrating the holiday in a Christ-centered way is perfectly acceptable.
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The Children’s Chapel
offers this easy-to-read version of the Easter story.
The Catholic Education Resource Center
provides several thoughtful activities for parents to do with children, such as creating a Lenten grab bag.
WhyEaster.com
(previously used as a reference in other sections of this guide) is a Christian web designer’s kid-friendly resource for sharing the Easter celebration. The Easter cultures section explores Easter customs of different countries and “The Full Story!” is perfect for older children and anyone looking for a straightforward synopsis of the Easter story.
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